I saved £25k by buying a German Lotus instead of a British one

Opel roots rather than Vauxhall mean Simon Bailey’s Lotus is an Omega, not a Carlton

As a twenty-something back in 1990, Simon Bailey dreamed of owning a Lotus Carlton, Vauxhall’s 176mph supersaloon that raised questions in the Commons and rattled the likes of BMW and Mercedes.
A quarter of a century later, he has realised his ambition, although the car on his driveway is not a Vauxhall but its Opel equivalent, the Lotus Omega. It’s a left-hand-drive example from Germany, imported three years ago.
Simon saw it advertised when, during a conversation with a mate, he was showing him how expensive Lotus Carltons are. “They were £70,000, £80,000,” recalls Simon. “There was even one with low mileage for £105,000.
“Then I saw this Opel version for £40,000. I couldn’t believe it. It was a 1992 J-reg with 75,000 miles and advertised with problems. But even so, I didn’t think I could go wrong.”

Simon contacted the seller and arranged to see the car. The problems turned out to be a spot of co